Power electronic arrangement

1. A power electronic arrangement configured to conduct a forward current in a forward mode of the power electronic arrangement and to conduct a reverse current in a reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the power electronic arrangement comprising: a semiconductor switch structure configured to assume a forward conducting state, wherein a steady-state current carrying capability of the semiconductor switch structure in the forward conducting state is characterized by a nominal current, and wherein the semiconductor switch structure is configured to conduct, in the forward conducting state, at least a part of the forward current in the forward current mode of the power electronic arrangement; a diode structure electrically connected in antiparallel to the semiconductor switch structure and configured to conduct at least a part of the reverse current in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement; and a reverse-conducting structure monolithically integrated with the semiconductor switch structure, wherein in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the reverse-conducting structure conducts less than 10% of the reverse current if the amount of the reverse current is equal to or smaller than a first critical reverse current value, the first critical reverse current value amounting to at least the nominal current, wherein the reverse-conducting structure conducts at least 20% of the reverse current if the amount of the reverse current is equal to or larger than a second critical reverse current value, the second critical reverse current value amounting to at most 10 times the nominal current.

2. The power electronic arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the first critical reverse current value amounts to at least twice the nominal current.

3. The power electronic arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the reverse-conducting structure comprises a thyristor structure electrically connected in antiparallel to the semiconductor switch structure.

4. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein a forward breakover voltage of the thyristor structure is lower than a diode on-state voltage of the diode structure at a critical diode current value, and wherein the critical diode current value amounts to at most five times the nominal current.

5. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein in the in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the thyristor structure conducts less than 10% of the reverse current if the amount of the reverse current is equal to or smaller than a first critical reverse current value, and wherein the first critical reverse current value amounts to at least twice the nominal current.

6. The power electronic arrangement of claim 5 , wherein in the in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the thyristor structure conducts at least 20% of the reverse current if the amount of the reverse current is equal to or larger than a second critical reverse current value, and wherein the second critical reverse current value amounts to at most 10 times the nominal current.

7. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein a holding voltage of the thyristor structure is higher than a diode forward voltage of the diode structure at the nominal current.

8. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the diode structure is configured to conduct between the nominal current and four times the nominal current at a voltage equal to a holding voltage of the thyristor structure.

9. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein a reverse blocking voltage of the thyristor structure is higher than a forward breakover voltage of the thyristor structure.

10. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein a reverse blocking voltage of the thyristor structure amounts to at least 90% of a breakdown voltage of the diode structure.

11. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein the thyristor structure has a smaller thermal resistance than the diode structure and/or a larger thermal capacity than the diode structure.

12. The power electronic arrangement of claim 3 , wherein an active area of the thyristor structure is at least as large as an active area of the diode structure.

13. The power electronic arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the semiconductor switch structure is or comprises an IGBT.

14. The power electronic arrangement of claim 13 , wherein the reverse-conducting structure comprises a thyristor structure electrically connected in antiparallel to the semiconductor switch structure, wherein the semiconductor switch structure and the thyristor structure are monolithically integrated in a power semiconductor device, the power semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor body having a front side coupled to a first load terminal structure and a backside coupled to a second load terminal structure and configured to conduct the at least a part of the forward current between the first load terminal structure and the second load terminal structure; and a plurality of IGBT control cells arranged at the front side in contact with the first load terminal structure and at least partially included in the semiconductor body, wherein the semiconductor body comprises: a drift region of a first conductivity type arranged in contact with the IGBT control cells; a backside collector region of a second conductivity type complementary to the first conductivity type, the backside collector region arranged at the backside in contact with the second load terminal structure; and a thyristor cathode region of the first conductivity type arranged at the backside in contact with the second load terminal structure and isolated from the drift region by a semiconductor region of the second conductivity type.

15. The power electronic arrangement of claim 14 , wherein a lateral extension of the thyristor cathode region defines a thyristor region of the semiconductor device, and wherein one or more of the IGBT control cells are arranged inside the thyristor region.

16. The power electronic arrangement of claim 14 , wherein a lateral extension of the thyristor cathode region is equal to or smaller than twice a vertical extension of the semiconductor body.

17. The power electronic arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the semiconductor body comprises a plurality of thyristor cathode regions distributed over a lateral extension of the semiconductor body.

18. A power electronic module comprising a plurality of power electronic arrangements of claim 1 , wherein the sum of active areas of the diode structures is in a range from 10% to 60% of the sum of active areas of the semiconductor switch structures.

19. A power electronic arrangement configured to conduct a forward current in a forward mode of the power electronic arrangement and to conduct a reverse current in a reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the power electronic arrangement comprising: a semiconductor switch structure configured to assume a forward conducting state, wherein a steady-state current carrying capability of the semiconductor switch structure in the forward conducting state is characterized by a nominal current, and wherein the semiconductor switch structure is configured to conduct, in the forward conducting state, at least a part of the forward current in the forward current mode of the power electronic arrangement; a diode structure electrically connected in antiparallel to the semiconductor switch structure and configured to conduct at least a part of the reverse current in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement; and a thyristor structure electrically connected in antiparallel to the semiconductor switch structure, wherein a forward breakover voltage of the thyristor structure is lower than a diode on-state voltage of the diode structure at a critical diode current value, wherein the critical diode current value amounts to at most five times the nominal current.

20. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the forward breakover voltage is equal to or smaller than 10 V.

21. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the forward breakover voltage amounts to at least 3 V.

22. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein in the in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the thyristor structure conducts less than 10% of the reverse current if the amount of the reverse current is equal to or smaller than a first critical reverse current value, and wherein the first critical reverse current value amounts to at least twice the nominal current.

23. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein in the in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the thyristor structure conducts at least 20% of the reverse current if the amount of the reverse current is equal to or larger than a second critical reverse current value, and wherein the second critical reverse current value amounts to at most 10 times the nominal current.

24. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the diode structure is monolithically integrated with the semiconductor switch structure.

25. The power electronic arrangement of claim 24 , wherein the semiconductor switch structure comprises a MOSFET, and wherein a body diode of the MOSFET forms at least a part of the diode structure.

26. The power electronic arrangement of claim 25 , wherein the MOSFET is a silicon carbide MOSFET.

27. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein a holding voltage of the thyristor structure is higher than a diode forward voltage of the diode structure at the nominal current.

28. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein in the reverse mode of the power electronic arrangement, the diode structure is configured to conduct between the nominal current and four times the nominal current at a voltage equal to a holding voltage of the thyristor structure.

29. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein a reverse blocking voltage of the thyristor structure is higher than a forward breakover voltage of the thyristor structure.

30. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein a reverse blocking voltage of the thyristor structure amounts to at least 90% of a breakdown voltage of the diode structure.

31. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the diode structure is or comprises a silicon carbide diode.

32. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the thyristor structure has a smaller thermal resistance than the diode structure and/or a larger thermal capacity than the diode structure.

33. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein an active area of the thyristor structure is at least as large as an active area of the diode structure.

34. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the reverse-conducting structure comprises a Zener diode.

35. The power electronic arrangement of claim 19 , wherein the semiconductor switch structure comprises a semiconductor body including a pn-junction configured to block a forward blocking voltage of the semiconductor switch structure in a forward blocking state of the semiconductor switch structure, wherein the semiconductor body is encased by a case, wherein the semiconductor switch structure has a junction-case thermal resistance Rthjc characterizing a steady-state heat transport capability between the pn-junction and the case, wherein the semiconductor switch structure is configured to operate continuously in the forward conducting state at a maximum junction temperature Tjmax of the pn-junction and a maximum operating case temperature Tc of the case, wherein the operation of the semiconductor switch structure in the forward conducting state at the maximum junction temperature Tjmax is characterized by a switch-structure on-state voltage Von, and wherein the nominal current Inom satisfies the following equation: Von · Inom = Tj ⁢ max - Tc Rthjc .

36. The power electronic arrangement of claim 35 , wherein a difference between the maximum junction temperature Tjmax and the maximum operating case temperature Tc is at least 50 K.

37. A power electronic module, comprising a plurality of power electronic arrangements of claim 19 , wherein the sum of active areas of the diode structures is in a range from 10% to 60% of the sum of active areas of the semiconductor switch structures.